America Quote by Rachel Maddow
“The Constitutional Convention debated whether America should even have a standing army. ... They worried that a powerful military could rival civilian government for power in our new country, and of course they worried that having a standing army around would create too much of a temptation to use it.”
About This Quote
Source Television: “The Rachel Maddow Show”, 2018
Standing armies risk threatening civilian control.
In simple terms: Standing armies threaten civilian control.
Key Takeaway
Guard democratic oversight.
Themes
politics
civil-military
democracy
Mood
analytical
concerned
Type
political
informative
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- educational curricula
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Checks and balances
historical precedent
Questions to Reflect On
- How balance security and liberty?
- What safeguards exist?
A Different Perspective
May ignore security needs.
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